Towing company sign shocks OUTniagara and partners

For Immediate Release
Re: JNE Recovery and Towing

Towing company sign shocks OUTniagara and partners

March 11, 2021 (Niagara region) – OUTniagara, a non-profit organization that connects and supports Niagara’s 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities, is shocked and disappointed that a Niagara business is using the transgender community as a punchline.

JNE Recovery and Towing on Victoria Avenue in Vineland posted a sign on its portable billboard that proclaimed to passing motorists and pedestrians: “Are we still using tranny fluid? Or is it gender neutral now.” The sign’s image was also posted on Facebook, and was shared several times. Several hours later, the FB message was removed.

“This so-called casual humour is harmful and deflating to a community that faces daily struggles,” said Celeste Turner (they, them), Chair of OUTniagara. “All humans long to be accepted for who we are. This is something everyone can resonate and empathize with. I think all, if not most humans have felt rejected or isolated to varying degrees at some point in our lives, for something about us we did not choose. This is no different for people who are gender-diverse. Using humour to isolate an entire group in this manner is disgraceful at best. We need to do better.”

They added that the sad irony is that March 31 is the Transgender Day of Visibility, and the sign serves to further reject and isolate trans communities.

Several 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations in Niagara support OUTniagara in challenging the towing company’s sign. They are Transgender Niagara, Positive Living Niagara, OPIRG Brock, PFLAG Canada Niagara Chapter, and the Niagara Falls Community Health Centre.

People who are transgender experience higher rates of discrimination than the cisgender population, and as a result, their mental health is put at a greater risk. Transgender people also face a much higher risk of suicide and suicide attempts than the general population.

Turner added they could anticipate what the reaction would be to OUTniagara’s concern.

“We’ll be told the sign was just a joke and we have no sense of humour, or we’re liberal snowflakes.” they said. “Or we’re self-righteous and annoying social justice warriors, or everyone is offended by everything. We’ve heard it all before. There always seems to be some sort of predictable pushback when we make the simple request to respect and value someone’s lived experiences.”

Following are additional comments from 2SLGBTQQIA+ partner organizations in Niagara:

• Colleen McTigue of Transgender Niagara, a local transgender support group: “The word “tranny” is a vicious slur against the trans community, and its use in this context is deeply offensive. The use of this term in this way serves to encourage bullying and other discrimination against the transgender community, and undermines efforts to educate the public about the positive contributions made by transgender people in society. “Such use cannot be tolerated in a just and diverse society.”
• Glen Walker, Executive Director of Positive Living Niagara: “We at Positive Living Niagara are greatly disturbed by the posting of insensitive and disrespectful messages against the Transgender community. We have made such progress in breaking down the walls of discrimination within our communities but this type of message demonstrates how much more work we need to do to. We stand in solidarity with OUTniagara in their efforts to call out language and actions that perpetuate discrimination.
• Laura Blundell, Executive Director of Niagara Falls Community Health Centre: “Niagara Falls Community Health Centre (NFCHC) works to removes barriers to health and wellness for all, including transgender individuals who we know experience increased instances of discrimination, even within healthcare systems. Comments such as these continue to set a precedent that being transgender is something to be discriminated for, which is entirely unacceptable. We are committed to ensuring this is not the case at NFCHC and have dedicated staff to support Niagara’s LGBTQ2+ community. We stand in solidarity with OUTniagara regarding their position on this issue.”

For more information, please contact OUTniagara Chair Celeste Turner at info@outniagara.ca.

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